Brothers in arms
by swenglish
Summary: The brothers are going to Nebraska for a hunt when Sam suddenly falls ill and it may change their lifes forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Supernatural characters **

_Here comes my first try on a supernatural chapter story. I hope you like it :) swenglish._

**Brothers in arms - Chapter 1**

Rain whipped against the windshield as the Winchester brothers drove through the midwestern landscape. They had been driving for hours and Dean was starting to look forward to getting to a motel to get a few hours of well needed rest before they were on their way again. This time their destination was Hutchinson Nebraska.

Three people had died an unexplainable death and their bodies had been found out burried in the cornfields. At the first look it appeared as this was the work of a serial killer but after doing the autopsies it showed that their hearts had been ripped out from their bodies in a brutal way and that without even a scar on their body. This could be a rite from a satanic cult but the brothers feared it was more sinister than this. It could be the work of an evil spirit or even a demon. Whatever it was the men were inclined to find out what it was and this was the reason why they were on the road past midnight.

Taking a quick glance at his little brother he saw that Sam had finally fallen asleep. He had been very quiet through out the evening and Dean suspected that the exhaustion they felt after the previous case had finally taken up on the young man. Sam had, as always, claimed that he was fine, just a bit tired and then he had leaned his head against the window just staring out into the darkness.

Dean didn't believe it one bit. The pale feature and the dark circles under his brothers eyes told him Sam needed a break and the way he held his arms wrapped around his body he guessed that he was cold despite the heater that was turned up to the max.

A small moan could be heard from his brother's side, which had Dean slowing down the car for a moment. The younger man moved restlessly in his sleep, sweat beaded on his forehead. Dean had seen this many times before, too many for him to count, and he guessed that Sam was in the claws of another grueling nightmare that would wake him up shaking with discomfort. There had been a lot of these nightmares lately and even if Dean suspected that it had something to do with Jessica he never got Sam to confirm it. Instead his little brother always joked it away or tried to change subject. Dean knew about those nights where nightmares were threatening to break his brother into pieces, he knew about those times when Sam would wake up wet from sweat, shivering and then unable to go to sleep again. Yet he couldn't find a way to confront the younger mans secret.

Letting out a frustrated sigh Dean could feel the fatigue starting to catch up with him and there was also the desperate need to stretch his legs. The Impala was not that big and sometimes he wondered how Sam could manage to sit hours and hours without getting a proper rest. Just when he feared that they would have to drive all night, since there hadn't been a motel sign for miles, he saw a sign that told him that there would be a motel three miles ahead.

Finally, not a minute too late.

The motel was small and looked as if it had seen better days. Dean had no idea where he was, except that he was somewhere in the rural of Kansas yet he didn't care. As long as the room provided a bed and a shower he was satisfied. Parking the car on an available spot Dean walked inside the sleazy motel.

If the outside looked bad it was nothing compared to the inside. A small electric light shone over a counter where a blonde woman - that looked like she'd seen better days - sat painting her toenails red. Cotton balls between her toes, chewing gum and headphones on her ears.

Dean cleared his voice; rough from not talking for so long since Sam hadn't been much company ever since they left Oklahoma. "Uh excuse me but I saw that there was available rooms…"

The woman made no sign of seeing that he was talking to her and it wasn't before Dean leaned over at the counter shouting "Hey!" that the woman acknowledged him.

Her first impression was to be pissed but then she changed her features as she was taking in Dean, drinking in his appearance.

"Hey there Hon," a smile lit up her red lips and Dean could see that a bit of lipstick color her front teeth. He backed away involuntary.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I saw that you had a vacancy sign up. Do you have any rooms?"

The woman, still smiling moved towards him. A hand touched his shoulder and she stroked him in a slow move. "My my what do we have here?" She leaned her mouth as close to his face as Dean felt trapped and made a move to get out of the place. "For handsome men like you we've always got rooms available." He could feel her hand move over his chest.

'Fuck it,' Dean thought, panic in his heart 'I ain't stayin' here'.

Then he remembered his little brother who was sleeping in the car. Sam really needed to be able to rest on a bed and this thought made him swallow down any sort of rude comment that was threatening to come over his lips.

"That's good. I want a double then."

The woman moved away her hand as if she'd been burned and Dean grinned.

"I see what I can do." Suddenly she didn't seem all that interested and as she handled him a sign in form she asked, "So where is Mrs. Blake then or should I say Miss?"

"Mrs.? Miss?" Dean frowned. Then he realized that the woman was upset because she thought he was bringing a girl over to the motel. "Oh," he said, "It's not a she, it's a he." He could've bit off his tongue when it dawned upon him what it sounded like. The woman's expression told him a lot of things too. "It's my brother. My younger brother," Dean clarified as he handed back the sign in form.

"Whatever," the woman muttered as she handed him the key. "Just keep it quiet. We don't want the cops to come over here you know." With that she sat down on her chair, put her foot up and continued to paint her toenails as if nothing had happened. She had obviously lost her interest on him.

Dean mumbled a thank you before he was out of the door.

Once he was back at the Impala he found that his little brother was still asleep. Drool ran down his left cheek, which had Dean wincing in disgust. Sam always claimed that he never drooled but he had been witnessed to it way too many times and one day when he wasn't as tired as hell he would take a pic of the drool and prove to his little brother that he was right as always. But this was not the time.

He shook his little brother a couple of times before hitting him on the head. "Hey wake up lazy ass." Dean was too tired to be gentle and all he wanted was to crawl back into a warm bed, and sleep the night away.

"Ugh…what did you do that for?" Sam complained as he rubbed the sore spot on his head where Dean's knuckles had hit him.

"You were drooling on my car," Dean grinned as he took in Sam's confused expression. "Seriously we're at a motel and you gotta get your ass up so I can get the bags from the backseat."

Sam made no move. "Get them from your side," he mumbled as he shut his eyes, leaning his head against the headrest.

Dean frowned. This wasn't like his little brother to act this lethargic. "Didn't you hear what I said?" he asked as he shook Sam's shoulder a bit rough. "I've got us a room after encountering a real bitch and now we gotta get your ass to bed. So move."

The younger hunter opened one eye. "I'm so tired that I don't think I can move an inch." He groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to work out the kinks that his uncomfortable sleeping position left him with. "Ouch my back hurts."

"You're such a wuss," Dean said with a grin but he couldn't help to feel a bit concerned. Sam wasn't normally the one to complain.

"I'm not. You try sitting here in this cramped up space,not being able to move for hours and see how you feel." His brother rubbed his back with his hand as if it really hurt.

"For your information I'm the one driving this beauty." Dean glared at his brother. "and there is nothing wrong with this car. It's you that acts like a grouch." All he got back was a "yeah, yeah," that told him that it was the end of the conversation. With a sigh he tried to host Sam out of the car. "Come on Sammy, we can't sit out here all night." Moving Sam didn't prove to be an easy task especially since the 22 year old was so much taller than he was and he felt as heavy as a bag of bricks.

His little brother most have realized that he couldn't lean on Dean since he did his best to try and stand, failing miserably and then swaying a bit. The older man steadied him against the car door. "Stand still while I get the bags out of the car," he ordered.

Sam, still with his eyes closed, said nothing and waited while Dean got the bags out of the car. "Man these are heavy," he muttered. "What do you got in yours? A dead body?"

"You wish," Sam mumbled. The cold air seemed to have woken him up a bit and the rain drizzle made him scrunch up his face. "Oh god it's cold out here." He wrapped his jacket closer to his body as a shiver ran through his back.

"Yeah and it's raining too." Dean muttered. "When you're done moping, you can get your bag. I'm going inside." He gestured towards the sports bag before heading towards the motel. Sam, still woozy from the sleep, blinked several times before shouldering his bag, trudging after his big brother.

Mold and damp hit them in the face as they walked into the small room. With a sigh Dean sank down on the first bed. "Man, I'm totally zonked." Kicking off his shoes he picked up the remote controller, turning down the TV. The picture however proved to be so bad that one could barely figure out what the show was all about so he turned it off.

"Fuck!" This was really a low place.

Sam had disappeared into the bathroom and he all he could do was waiting for him to be done. Dean looked at the bathroom door with concern. Something was off with his brother but he didn't know what. Sam hadn't been all that talkative this evening which had him guessing that something was bothering him. The fact that he looked as pale as a ghost didn't help things either.

Suddenly the sound from a toilet flushing broke his train of thoughts and soon Sam appeared in the door opening. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before crawling under the covers. "G'night."

"'Night." Standing up Dean opted to grab the towel and get a quick shower but taking one look at his watch he saw that it was over two o clock and he decided that he could take that shower in the morning. A quick brush of his teeth before he was set to bed was all he could handle right now. They had to be on the road early and he needed all the z's he could get.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Supernatural characters_

_First I would like to thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They really warm my soul and it helps me writing. Big hug to all of you. Second I would like to appologize for the grammar misstakes but as I said before english isnt my first language. A shout out to Carrie who had to put up with my sw-english :) And Third; here comes the chapter . Take care...wait, wait if there is anyone out there that would like to help with the grammar and editing, please send me a mail.../ swenglish_

Ps. Thanks to secretchild that pointed out a double copy of text in the chapter. This is the new corrected chapter :)

**Brothers in arms - Chapter 2**

The moment Sam woke up he'd wished that he would be able to go back to sleep again. His head felt ready to explode and for a second he thought a vision was to appear. That was how bad the pain was. Light hurt his eyes and the small sun beam that managed to creep out from the curtain made him wince in pain. Shielding his eyes with his arm he looked to his side only to see his brother one the other bed fast asleep. Snoring.

His sleep had been restless and he'd woke up all the time from the constant nightmares that seemed to haunt him. Dean had asked him several times about these events but so far Sam hadn't wanted to talk about them. The memory of Jessica burning up was much too vivid and realistic for him to cope with and talking about it only reminded him of the grief he felt deep inside. However Dean had told him that if he didn't get the emotions out that he was hiding he would end up sick one day and the way he felt he wondered if that day had finally arrived.

Hiding a moan as the headache intensified, Sam rolled over onto his stomach. This only made the pain worse and he hid his aching head under the pillow just like he used to do when he was a small child and wanted to be protected from the harsh world outside. The coolness of the sheets as well as the darkness from the pillow provided him the relief he so desperately needed and he groaned in disappointment when the alarm clock's shrill signal woke him up from his bliss.

"Man!" The last thing he wanted was to get up and go on a hunt. He also knew by experience that Dean would soon come breathing down his neck and the peaceful moment would just be a memory. True to his thoughts he could feel his brother nudging his aching form with his foot. He knew it wasn't hard but the "kick" hurt like a bitch and radiated up towards his neck. Sam bit back a moan.

"Get your lazy ass up, princess. It's time to get going." Dean growled as he leaned over him. Morning breath polluted the air.

When Sam made no movement he could feel how his pillow shifted due to Dean's attempt to pry his momentarily bliss away from him. 'Fuck off,' he wanted to yell but found that he had to hold back his anger due to the pain he was in. Instead he crawled into a ball the second the pillow was now, also snatched away from him.

Dean who now got to take a good look at his little brother shook his head. "Dude you look like complete shit. What did you do? Didn't you get any sleep at all?" His words were hard but his eyes were filled with concern.

"I did until you woke me up by kicking me in the back," Sam mumbled not wanting to let Dean know how bad he felt. This would only lead to his big brother forcing him to stay in bed all day and the last thing he wanted was to stay at this sleazy hotel when he knew that Dean just wanted to get out on a hunt. It didn't help either that they needed to get to Hutchinson to hunt down the evil force that killed people off so brutally so no more lives had to be lost. Besides he was rather used to headaches these days and one more wouldn't make much difference, would it?

"I didn't kick you in your back," his brother defended.

"Whatever." Sam rolled to his back, wincing at how much it hurt his aching spine and instead rolled to his side. His limbs hurt in the same way as it did a couple of weeks ago when he a hellicious cold that left him unable to breathe through his nose for days. With his "luck" this was probably the cold showing its ugly head again. Or maybe it was another bout with the stomach flu that had kept both he and his brother busy last month. It lasted 48 hours tops but felt like an eternity...

Dean cut through his thoughts. "I'm going to get us some breakfast. You want anything special?"

The mere suggestion of putting something into his mouth made Sam's stomach rumble viciously and he swallowed hard to fend the nausea feeling away. "Nah I'm good," he said a bit weaker than he first expected.

"You sure?"

"Mmmm…just bring me some black coffee." Talking was hard.

"All right… Dude try to be up when I come back," Dean said as he opened up the door. Just before he closed the door he stuck in his head again, making sure that Sam had heard the words. "Okay?"

"Mmmm." Sam mumbled wishing he had the strength to get up. His body ached so much, especially his head and back. Even his neck felt sore. Sam must've dozed off because when he opened his eyes the next time Dean stood next to his bed, a cup of coffee in his hand and a bag of donuts. He had a surprised expression on his face. "You still asleep? I thought you'd be up by now." Sam knew that Dean was genuinely surprised since he was often the one that was first ready when they were going somewhere, even the times when he was the last one to get out of bed. Dean handed him the coffee cup." You sure you're up to this hunt today?"

There it came. The inevitable question.

"Yeah." Sam rubbed his temples. "I've just got a bit of a headache." That was a big understatement but he didn't want to alarm his brother so it was best to play on the safe side. It felt as if every bone in his body was broken and all the limbs were torn out of his place but worst was the ache he felt in his back.

"A vision?"

"No," the younger hunter shook his head only to regret it seconds later. "No," he winced, "I think it's just a headache, nothing a couple of aspirins won't cure." He added quickly, "I think I slept too hard."

"Uh huh." Dean's eyes told him that he didn't believe him but to Sam's relief he didn't press further on the subject. He dug into the brown paper bag that he'd brought with him. "Here," Dean handed him a plain donut. "I got this. I hope they're not stale." He took a bite as to test the bakery. "I think they are safe to eat. You want one?"

"I'm sure they are fine," Sam smiled weakly but didn't accept the gift His stomach churned too threatingly and he swallowed hard. "Nah I'm good…thanks." With that he took a sip of the coffee. It tasted weird and he when he put the cup down almost untouched, Dean eyed him with suspicion.

"So a headache is all that you've got then?" Deans asked, his tone filled with doubt.

"Yep." Sam put his feet down on the cold wooden floor only to shiver when they met the surface. He hoped that the wince had gone unnoticed. "I'm not just very hungry," he explained as he stood up on shaky legs, grabbing the towel that hung over the bed. "I'm going to get a quick clean up and then we can go."

Walking proved to be so much more difficult than he first thought and for a moment he feared that he would pass out from the pain. In the corner of his eye Sam watched his big brother follow every move he made and it was with relief he reached the bathroom and could close the door behind him.

Cold sweat had broke out on his forehead and he quickly sat down on the toilet so the dizziness would pass. Sam knew that he had to shape up or Dean would drag his sorry ass over to the first hospital they came across. His brother had always been protective but ever since those visions started he was overly protected and it was more than one time he'd been threatened to go to the hospital when the pain was too bad.

With that in mind he stood up, leaning against the basin, and fixed himself up the best he could. Satisfied that he didn't look like a zombie anymore, even though he was pale as one, he went out to the room only to find that Dean had already left with the bags.

A chill ran down his spine and he was lucky he'd choosen to wear a warm sweater since the weather wasn't at it's best. Feeling his jacket, he found the aspirin bottle safely tucked in his front pocket and he picked it up and shook out three pills only to drown it seconds later with the now cold and disgusting cup of coffee.

Dean was already waiting in the car "About time," he muttered "I thought you'd drowned."

Ignoring the comment Sam sat down on the passanger seat, leaning his aching head against the head'rest, eyes closed. He had no idea how long he'd sat like this but when he opened his eyes to ask why they weren't going he saw Dean looking at him. "What?" he asked a bit annoyed.

"Sammy,you okay?" Dean's tone held a hint of worry as did his hazelbrown eyes.

"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I?"

"You seem a bit off , that's all." Dean's tone was light at first then he changed into a more serious mood. "You're not hiding anything. Are you?"

Sam jerked unvoluntary. It was scary how well his brother seemed to now him. No matter how hard he tried to hide things, wheater it was feelings or pain, it rarely succeded and Dean had always a way to find out the truth. It was as if he could read him like an open book and it both annoyed and amazed him and also provided him with a strange kind of comfort.

This time however he didn't think it was time to reveal that he was feeling like dogshit so instead he snapped, "Dammit Dean when will you stop questioning me? I told you that I was just tired, didn't I?" He knew his brother meant well but it was starting to get old with having to being a victim for all this questoning over his phsycal and mental health. Especially since he was plagued with those visions.

"Dude there is no need to be a jerk. I just wanted to know why you look like a freaking zombie." Dean's tone was calm but Sam could sense a hint of irritation. "So what's your problem?"

"Are we gonna sit here and talk about me or are we gonna go an investigate the case?"

Dean looked at him for a while before shaking his head and starting the engine. "Okay...fine be a stubborn bastard then." He draw back his breath before continuing, "But if I find out that you're hiding something that I should know then I will kick your ass." His eyes burned a hole into Sam. "And that's a promise."

Shrugging the younger hunter closed his eyes again. "Whatever." He didn't have the strength to discuss the subject any further beside what difference would it make anyway?

The drove in silence, that was if you didn't count AC/DC blasting into the speakers. Sam had wrapped his arms around his body since the heater didn't seem to work properly, at least he didn't feel like it did. Chills wracked his aching body and the headache that he'd managed to get into a tolerated level with the help of aspirin seemed to have returned with a venegance. It felt as if he had a drum impanted inside his brain.

The cramped up position in the Impala didn't exactly help either, especially since his neck was sore after sleeping in some wierd position last night. As if things were not bad enough, the constant moving vehicle was making him motion sick, something he hadn't been since his early teens.

Life couldn't suck more than this.

Doing his best to get the nauseous feeling under control he yawned several times which got his brother's attention.

"If you're that tired you need to get some more sleep and don't sit up by the computer all night working."

Sam did his best to bite back a sneer. Wasn't it his bossy big brother who'd told him to do a research over their new case the night before this? Which in turn resulted in very little sleep. Not that he cared; sleeping usually lead to nightmares and nightmares lead to thoughts and grief. And that he could do without.

"I'm alright, just need to stretch my legs for a bit."

"Me too...I could use a break," Dean said with a sigh. Taking one good look at his brother Sam saw that the previous weeks work had really taken its toll on him too. A few days of vacation would do them both good and Sam even considered suggesting this after they were done with this case.

"Hey," Dean suddenly called out pointing to a sign. "It says there's a Diner a couple of miles further down the road. Let's hit that place. I'm starving."

"Uh huh." Food wasn't exactly what Sam had in mind and he did his best to talk as little as possible so he wouldn't aggrivate any further the already sick feeling in his stomach.

Dean gave him a curious look but didn't ask him any further and soon they saw the orange flashing sign that told them that they were heading to "Joe's Diner." It was a small resturant and by the look of it a truckers stop. Big trucks and trailers were parked outside and Dean drove into a free space.

By the time they arrived, the nausea had picked up a knot and Sam felt as if his innards would explode if he didn't get out of the car fast enough. It had been ages since he was carsick, something he often was when he was younger up until his early teens, but recognized the gross feeling and really hated it. Up until now the nasuea had been held in a tolerated level but it was soon starting to reach its critical point.

There was a burning feeling in his throat and Sam did his best to swallow down the saliva; a sure sign that he was about to get sick. He also tried to stay focused and hold the nausea under control. If he only let up a second he feared that the sickness would take over and he would end up losing it which would result in ruined upholstery and a very angry Dean. The mere scare that something would happen to the Impala; his brother's most precious belonging made him do anything in his power to stay conscious. Especially since Dean took better care of the car than any of his old girlfriends.

"You're coming or what?" Dean had stopped the car, and now he sat there waiting for Sam to make a move.

"Uh...we stopped?" Sam didn't know what to say and he could see by the look his brother gave him that it irritated him.

"Yeah Sammy, minutes ago." Running a hand through his short hair with a tired gesture he went on, "God Sam what's the matter with you today? You seem distracted. Even more distracted than you usually are." A grin lit up his face briefly. "Come on man, let's go."

"Yeah yeah." Sam didn't have the strength to pick up the direction this conversation was taking and he knew that one way to break it was to make a move. It was such a relief to get out of the car and feeling the fresh air. Even though it was cold outside it was way better than staying in the stale car all day. The moment he stepped outside a bit of the nausea subsided and he almost felt normal again. Dean was already on his way inside and Sam did his best to keep up his pace.

The Diner was crowded and the smell of food and sweat hit them like a brick wall. Sam instantly gagged, hoping that his brother wouldn't spot that, but Dean showed no such signs and instead he sat down by a booth and picked up the menue. "What are you gonna get?" he asked when Sam sat down heavily on a chair.

"Eh..Uh...I don't know." The sickness he thought he had under control flared up inside him and he needed to find a bathroom. Fast. Sam stood up, gesturing with his thumb towards the famous door sign. "I'm gonna go in there. You order something for me, okay?" He did his best not to sound too desperate.

"Sure. What do you want then? A hamburger meal?"

Sam had to do everything not to gag. Meat, Hamburger was not something he couldn't even consider at this moment. Come to think of it there wasn't much he wanted to put inside his mouth at all. Desperately trying to find out what would be good for his churning stomach he blurted out, "Chicken soup," before taking a hasty detour towards the mens room. He could sense Dean's suprise stared behind his back but didn't dare to look back. Once he found the wanted facility he ignored the fact that it was a busy time, filled with truckers and instead ran into a stall, locking it behind him.

Sam didn't waste any time and he immediatly sank down on the dirty tiled floor, not caring that the stall had seen better days. He closed his eyes as he leaned over the bowl , waiting for ythe action to take place. If there were one thing Sam Winchester hated it was throwing up. It always left him so spent and the feeling of loosing control made him feel small and helpless. When he was a kid he'd been dependent on Dean when situations like this happend but being an adult he had endured things like this alone and it sucked.

He could feel tears dwell up in his eyes, like it always did when his stomach rebelled against him and the urge to fight the puking was so strong that it almost sent him into panic. With blurred eyes Sam started down the porcleain throne, retching but not managing to bring anything up. He hadn't eating much the past 24 hours and now he was paying the price. At least he could be happy that the aspirin had already resolved in him or the pain medication he needed so badly had been a total waste.

Sam wanted to scream. If puking was bad it was nothing compared to the situation he was in now, his stomach twisting and retching unable to help him out and his headache flaring up to levels he didn't even think was possible. Cold sweat coated his body and he could feel his tee sticking under him like second skin. It was hot like a furnace and at the same time he shook from the tension. Oh how he wanted all of this to be over with; either that or loosing his counsiousness. Whimpering he craddled his head into his arm, gagging and just when he was certain that this was it; he would die, he heard Dean calling out his name.

"Sam? Sam is that you?" Dean banged on some doors which caused a commotion of angry voices.

Embarressed, Sam croaked out, "Dean stop it. I'm in here." Seconds later his stomach twisted again and he wretched as silent as he could, bringing up nothing but sour bile. This caused action from the other side of the door.

"Fuck Sam. Are you all right?" He could hear his brothers breathing and even though there was a door between them it provided him with some comfort. "Come on bro', answer me." There was a hint of panic in Deans tone.

It would've been so easy to tell the truth. That he felt like hell and that he thought he'd might have caught a stomach bug and that his head on top of all the mess threatned to explode. But there was something that made Sam stop, Maybe it was the fact that they were on a new case and he didn't want something as simple as a 24 hour bug run them down. Especially since he could see how happy Dean was to be out on the field working again.

Or maybe it was reason that he didn't want to end up a burden to his brother since he already this fall encountered more viruses than was human possible. It wasn't long ago since Dean said that if Sam ended up with one more ailement he would be on his own. It had been a joke at that time, especially since they just came back for hunting after Sam had spent almost a week in bed with that nasty cold.

Whatever the reason was Sam made up his mind not to alarm his brother about his distress. At least not for the time being. Instead he told a little white lie; "Yeah, I'll be out in a sec." Sam did his best to try and make his voice sound steady and not like someone that was about to fall apart physically.

"You sure?" Dean didn't sound too convinced and Sam couldn't hold that against him, especially since he figured out that his brother had some ideas what was going on. Quick, Sam tried to think up something to say. Something that would shut his brother up.

"I'm taking a dump. Now leave me alone." 'Hopefully that did it,' Sam thought as he waited for Dean to respond.

"Okay dude, but you've been in there quite sometime now. Maybe I should order in some plums for ya'. Ya' know to make things easier." There was a laugh.

Relieved he'd swallowed the bait, at least for now, Sam couldnt help but smile despite his misery. His brother had such a potty mouth. "Dean. I said go away. I'll come when I'm done."

"Okay." He could just picture his big brothers large grin. "Just don't push so hard you get a hernia." He could hear the sound of men laughing outside, yet he didn't care as long as Dean left the premises.

When he was finally alone Sam let out a breath he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding. His stomach had settled down a bit, and for a moment he thought that maybe the reason for this sudden setback had actually been a case of sleep deprivation and exhaustion; just Dean often told him.

Feeling a bit better, he decied that it was time to leave the place. Dean would be suspecious if he spent anymore time inside the restroom, beside it was grossing him out. Public facilities had never been his cup of tea and even if they had stayed in some very sleasy restroom in the past, some could almost count as shelters, he'd rather spent time in those than in a dump like this.

Washing off his face he took a quick glance into the mirror only to nearly get a heart attack. If he had looked bad in the morning it was nothing compared to the man that looked back at him. Bloody Mary would look like a postergirl next to him. His face was so pale that it was almost fragile and blood shot eyes stared back at him with a dull expression.

No wonder he felt like a truck had ran over him.

Twice


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone and thanks a million times for all the reviews I've received. It means alot to me. I'm sorry that I haven't updated any sooner but I have beensuffering from writers block...anyway here I am again: with a new chapter and I hope that you'll like it :) Take care and see ya soon/ swenglish**

Chapter 3

Dean Winchester was pissed. Pissed at his kid brother who acted as if everything was peachy when he knew in reality that something was bothering him. Otherwise he wouldn't look as someone dragged him through hell, and for what reason? Ok Sam was a stubborn son of a bitch but did he actually think that he, Dean, was such an idiot not to notice when Sam felt like crap? He, who had been there for almost 22 years; He who was more a parent than their own dad?

Stupid idiot.

His little brother was sometimes a hard nut to crack, but this behavior was strange even for him. If Sammy thought he would be fooled this easily his little brother better rethink. Twice. After all he was born a hunter and was used to sensing when something wasn't right. That was what had kept him alive all of these years. However in this case you didn't have to be very smart to recognize that something was wrong.

For the umpteenth time since they had left the diner, Dean stole a glance at his brother. Sam was fast asleep, his head leaning against the cold window. It didn't look very comfortable but every time Dean had made an attempt to move his head Sam had grunted something and soon his head was back at its place like the stubborn bastard he was.

He sighed.

Sam sleeping in the car wasn't a very unusual sight since he was doing his best to catch up with the sleep he so desperately needed. Today however he'd spent more time sleeping than being awake and this left Dean concerned. His little brother looked more and more exhausted due to sleep deprivation, but whenever he'd encountered the subject Sam told him to back off and mind his own business. At first he'd shrugged the comment off but now he felt fed up with the avoiding attitude and as soon as Sam woke up he would encounter the younger hunter about it.

The ride had been long and boring and his only company had been listening to his heavy metal tapes and drumming his hands on the steering wheel to the musical beat. Looking outside he found that the view wasn't much to get excited over. Nebraska was a very flat state and he hadn't seen a hill for hours, just cornfields and bushes. It didn't help either that a rain cloud seemed to have followed them ever since they left their last stop.

Yawning, Dean felt both hunger as well as tiredness set in and he seriously debated whether or not he should make a pit stop at the nearest hamburger joint. Sam could use the much needed break, especially since the last stop had been more of a disaster. Even though his brother had denied it he knew that he'd puked his guts out; a pale face and bloodshot eyes, not to mention the puke breath, revealed it to him. The fact that Sammy hardly touched his soup only supported his suspicions, and now it looked more and more like a migraine. Dean was more and more starting to wonder if this hunt was such a good idea since the work required them to stay sharp at all times and Sam acted more like a victim than the hunter.

But then there was this other part of him; the part that made his adrenaline to rise sky-high whenever they were on their way to work on a new case. His dad used to say that Dean was born with natural supernatural instincts and that he couldn't live without hunting even when his life depended on it. The more he thought about it he knew it was true.

Sam on the other hand, wasn't born with hunting in his blood. He wanted more to be "normal" and when he'd left for college Dean had been mad at him for months. It felt as if his little bro betrayed him when he chose another life, but as the years passed on Dean found himself to more and more accept it. His dad however never forgave his brother, not even on his deathbed. A Winchester's goal was to hunt down the evil, not to live like normal people. Maybe this was why Sam had a hard time adjusting and now almost a year later couldn't forget the way Jessica died and now it was eating him from the inside and out.

Finally the sign; Welcome to Hutchinson Nebraska, appeared in front of him . "About fucking time," he growled as he drove into the small Midwestern town. Sam was still sleeping and he didn't move an inch as Dean parked the Impala in front of a bar. He was going to go and ask around who knew more about this hunt and since Sam still seemed to be out of it he decided to do that alone. Grabbing a beer at the local pub was a great way to find out what was going on in such a small town and with those thoughts in mind he stepped out of the car and walked inside the bar.

It was dinner time and the place was filled with locals drinking a beer after work, and they all stared at him when he opened the door. Giving away a quick smile he walked up to the bartender and sat down on a bar stool.

The bartender, a woman with red curly hair looked at him curiously, "What can I get you hon?"

"A Bud, thanks," he replied, grabbing a handful of peanuts which he swiftly threw into his mouth in an attempt to quiet down the hunger that screamed in his stomach. A loud growl made itself heard and Dean asked for a menu. Hell, if he was going to be stuck at this rat hole he might as well do it with a full stomach. Something in the back of his mind told him that Sam wouldn't be much dinner company anyway and if he blends in with the locals he would easily be able to find out more about this case.

The red haired woman called Kathy passed him a menu, "You're going to visit anyone or just passing through?" she asked as she pulled out a Bud from the cooler. She was flirting with him and Dean smiled back at her.

Being nice to strangers always paid off.

"As a matter of fact a little of both," he said taking a large swig from the bottle.

"Oh" the woman sounded surprised. Obviously it wasn't all that often that strangers came passing by which had Sam think that it wouldn't be all that easy to find out more about the killings. "You're alone honey?"

"No it's me and my bro," he gestured with his thumb toward the window. "We're here to investigate more about them findings of the bodies that were discovered a few days back. Dean drew his breath, "You know anything about it?"

The woman who had seemed so friendly at first narrowed her eyes, "Why? Are you reporters?"

"Uh..yeah," He nodded, unsure if it was a bad move. "We're uh..." Dean searched briefly for words until his eyes fell on the TV screen that showed a documentary on the Discovery Channel and he got an instant idea. "We're from TV, the discovery channel and we're making a program about unexplained deaths." Proud over his newly found cover he saw that the woman looked surprised but delighted at the same time.

"Tv? My my..." She snickered. "I thought you were just another one of those newspaper reporters that been sneaking around asking questions ever since the bodies were found." She gave away an apologetic smile. "It's not every day folks from the Discovery Channel is visiting us."

Not expecting miracles in getting information in a small town like this, people had a tendency not to talk to strangers unless there were something in there for them, he smiled; "Nah. This is nothing but the real deal. Names Dean Green by the way," Dean said as he reached out his hand to introduce himself.

"I'm Kathy..Kathy Larkin and I'm the owner of this bar." When the formality was over she asked, "So what would you like to order?"

Dean, feeling that this was someone that could hold important information said, "Do you have anything that you can recomend?" His stomach had made itself reminded once more and getting something in his system sounded better by the second. After being recomended the house Chili special, he went on with the interrogation , "Do you know who found the bodies. Was it the police?"

Suddenly Kathy didn't look as interested in her guest and Dean could feel the rest of the customers glares in his back. It was clear that no one was particularly interested in sharing information with him. Dean groaned. Why was it sometimes so hard to get people to talk? Taking another swig from his second beer he continued making more small talk and when he felt that he had charmed her enough he went back to the issue again, asking who it was.

The answer was a bit delayed and Kathy looked at him a bit uncomfortable but when she put a bowl of steaming chili on the table in front of him she whispered, "It was my husband... Joe."

Dean could feel his adrenaline soar. If he could just maintain this conversation he was sure that this would lead to some valuable information. He opened his mouth to ask another question when the door opened and another guest came in. He wouldn't have paid much attention if he didn't recognize the figure stumbling inside calling out for him in a voice barely audible over all the noise.

"Dean...are you in here? Where are you?"

Fuck! Dean opted between running towards his brother and acting as if he didn't know the person that staggered towards his direction. The latter since Sam had a habit of screwing up everything especially since he didn't know their new cover. His big brother mode however kicked in when he saw that Sam looked like shit on a stick.

"Sammy what are you doing here?"

"What **I am **I'm doing here?" The younger hunter asked, a sore sight for eyes with his flushed face and dark hair standing up on end at one side and the other side flat from sleeping against the car window. Sam's eyes, glossy with fever, stared at him and even though it was clear that his body was wrapped up in a spell of chills that didn't stop him from pressing on with an accusing tone, "Why did you leave me? I'm out in the car and freezing my ass off and you're sitting here drinking a beer? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Dean, feeling bad seeing his brother in this shape but also not wanting to blow their cover, grit his teeth, "Sam you were sleeping and since I didn't want to bother you I thought that I would do this interview by my own."Inside his heart pounded, _**'Please Sam, please just follow my lines.'**_ His brother however seemed a bit disoriented and the frown that followed told Dean that Sam wasn't about to do such a thing.

"Interview? What are you talking about?" Sam's voice was weak and he sounded very annoyed. The sweat poured down his face like he'd been out in the rain and Dean gestured towards the chair beside him for his little brother to sit down before he toppled over, but it was ignored.

"Yeah you know the _**interview."**_ Dean could feel himself get frustrated too, "the spot were doing for the Discovery Channel." Gritting his teeth he forced a smile on his lips towards Kathy who followed the conversation with interest.

Great! Sam was about to blow their cover!

Wanting to divide the conversation away from their mission he put his hand on his brother's arm, a bit more hard than what he intended to at first and he gave him a warning glare as he said, "Sam you're out of it. We're doing this job for the Discovery Channel, don't you remember?" When Sam looked as he was about to deny he tightened his grip briefly before saying, "Man you look as you're about to pass out!"

Several guests followed this discussion with interest and the silence in the bar was evident as Dean said with an apologetic smile, "Don't mind my brother. He came down with a bad case of the flu and he's been out of it ever since we did our last gi...I mean job."

Kathy nodded even though Dean could see the doubt in her eyes. A heard a snicker behind him, "Discovery Channel, eh" and was sure that they had totally blown their cover if Sam hadn't decided to make a big deal over it.

"Yeah...yeah now I remember," Sam nodded, all the color suddenly gone from his face. Dean had to bit his lip from laughing out loud. The coin had finally fell down into the slot machine, even if it was almost too late. "The programs." He lifted his head and looked at the bartender and with his award winning smile and mumbled, "I'm sorry. I'm a little out of it today,"

"That's okay honey. You want something to drink?" Water?"

Sam shook his head and instead turned his attention to Dean. Swallowing hard he mumbled, eyes closed, "I don't feel so good." His face was suddenly white as a ghost and Dean was sure that his little brother was about to pass out. Not wanting to make a scene he put his arm around his brother's waist, wanting to get out of the place as fast as possible. A little air would do him good especially since the heat radiated out of him like a furnace. Shit he was really bad off.

"Come on man, let's get you back to the car."

Sam's reply was a shaky, "'key." and as Dean hoisted his little brother up and at once he could feel him slacking, putting all his weight against Dean's body.

"Shit Sammy don't do this. Don't pass out," Dean urged his little brother. Sam was no small person and there was no way he could carry his frame out to the car. Dead weight always weighed a ton. "Come on dude, work with me here." Dean did his best to half carry the man but it was futile and when Sam didn't respond to him he let out a groan of frustration.

Fuck this was the last thing they needed. Sam passing out cold in a bar just when he was on the verge of getting important information. Dean let out a frustrated sigh. The only positive thing was Sam saved them from blowing their cover, even if it had been done in such a dramatic way!


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again. I actually found me inspired especially from all of the wonderful reviews that I've received. Thank you so very very much :) A special thank you to Carrie who have edited this chapter too...Love ya! Okey enough talking; here comes the chapter. Hugs and hope to hear what you think of this./ swenglish**

The first thing Sam became aware of was that he was lying down. The second that there was noise around him and the third was that his head hurt so much that he wanted to roll into a ball and cry. Forcing his eyes open despite the pain, he saw blurry faces looking down on him.

Everything was like a mush inside his head and his first thought was that he'd been on yet another hunt that had gone bad, that was until a woman's voice could be heard in the background. Then he started to think that maybe it was the result of a drinking binge but that would be more Dean to do something like that.

Blinking several times, stifling a moan he tried to sit up only to be pushed down again. "No honey you should lay down," the woman said softly and for a moment he felt confused.

"Jess?"

"Nope dude, this is Kathy; she owns this bar." Dean's face came into view. "So sleeping beauty has decided to join us again." He grinned, the tone light in his voice but Sam could swear that there was concern too. They were in a bar? No wonder he felt as if he had the hangover from hell!

Nausea boiled in his stomach and everything felt so sluggish. "Wha…what happened?"Sam asked squinting up at his brother, careful not to further aggravate the pain that threatened to explode his head into million of pieces.

"You passed out." Dean's explanation was short. "And I swear that if you pull a stunt like that on me again, I'll kick your ass." He paused briefly. "That's a promise!"

To an outsider words like this might have sounded harsh but to Sam they were normal. It was Dean's way of saying that he was concerned and that he cared for him. The younger man smiled weakly, his lips parched from the fever he felt running in his veins. Slowly things had started to come back for him and he had a memory of the "conversation" he had with his brother before his world had decided to do a 360 degree spin.

"Seriously, how are you feelin'? You feel dizzy? Nausea? Headaches?"

He could've answered yes to all three of the options yet said, "I'm fine." He looked up at Dean to let him know that he was serious but the doubt in his brothers eyes told him that hadn't been very convincing.

"Oh yeah I can see that," Dean snickered. Shaking his head he added, "Sammy boy I have news for you; you're far from fine." A hand touched his forehead. "And you're hot as hell." There were so many comments that Sam could throw back but at that point the nausea that he'd been fighting for a while made itself known again and he swallowed hard against the burning feeling in his throat. The electric light in the bar made his eyes hurt and he closed his eyes against the dizziness that suddenly crept over him.

Crap it felt as if he would pass out again.

"Hey man, are you with me." Dean's tone sounded urgent worried, and Sam fought hard to stay conscious but his eyes felt so heavy at once. He felt a pat on the cheek, "Sam don't you do this to me. Come on wake up!"

When he felt as if he wasn't on a roller coaster anymore Sam opened his eyes again and let out a weak smile towards his brother that looked as if he was ready to pack him into an ambulance. "I'm a bit dizzy, that's all." Sam did his best to try to sit up only to prove that he was feeling better which Dean seemed to think was a bad idea.

"No bro, you just lay down. Rest." Sam was pushed back.

In the back he could hear people talking about his condition and both words doctor and hospital were mentioned several times. Not wanting to be coped up in an emergency room Sam was relieved when Dean said that it was probably just a flu bug and that it would pass. The older hunter knew how much he hated to go to hospitals and that it took a lot for a Winchester to admit that he needed to go to see a doctor, something both of them had regretted in the past.

"Maybe we should move him to a more comfortable place so he can rest," someone suggested in the back and instantly Kathy said that they could move him to the living room in the back. He could hear his brother telling them that it was all right and nothing to be that concerned about and that Sam sometimes had these spells, obviously referring to his visions.

Sam tightened his jaw. Did Dean think he had a vision?

He wanted to object; both at having to rest at a strangers house when all he wanted was them to find an motel so he could get a good nights rest, which there hadn't been much of lately. But he also wanted to tell Dean that the way he felt right now had nothing to do with his previous visions or the case he worked on. He didn't feel like being a nuisance to anyone and in his book passing out was bad enough. To his dismay though he heard Dean agree and before he could say anything his brother patted him gently on his cheek.

"Come on Sammy, we're moving you to a more comfortable place. Do you think you can stand up?"

Sam nodded slowly despite knowing that standing up would prove to be difficult especially since he was afraid that he would puke if he even moved an inch. Sitting up, careful not to aggravate his headache, he felt Deans arm on his shoulder.

"That's it buddy. Take it easy," the older hunter guided him. "I've got ya."

Sam bit his lip. Moving hurt even more than before in his back and pain radiated all the way up to his neck. Crap he had no idea that he felt this bad. Wincing he felt Dean guide him up slowly, obviously knowing what disaster could happened if he got up too fast. Just when he thought he'd made it and was on his feet, shaky but still, his stomach decided to show him who was the boss and it did a somersault that had vomit rush up his throat.

Coughing Sam tried to alert his brother and to his dismay he found that Dean wasn't quick enough to grab something for him to use and before he knew it his stomach emptied itself on the floor. Dean jumped aside, barely missed and he felt his face burn with embarrassment when he heard people around him gasp with disgust.

Oh how he wanted to die!

"'m sorry," Sam mumbled as he fought doing a repeat performance. Cold sweat poured down his back and his shirt stuck to him like a second skin. As if the vomiting had been bad it was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his head and neck when he leaned forward: it was so bad that black spots danced in front of his eyes and he was grateful that Dean was by his side or else he was certain that he'd fell flat on his face again.

Sam had no idea how much had passed but when he started to come to he found himself sitting on the floor in a small bathroom, his brother by his side hunched on his feet. "That's it Sammy, let it all out," Dean cajoled while rubbing his back in long smoth circles, just like he'd done so many times before in the past. Usually it was quite comforting but today every touch felt as if his skin was pinned with needles and he tried to back away from the pain. Dean, misreading his actions said, "Don't fight it. You'll feel better once you purged it all out of your system."

Dean was usually right, but today all he could think of was this pain to end since it was worse than any headache he'd felt before. All visions included.

Once he was certain that his body had nothing more to produce, he flushed the toilet and then Dean helped him up to stand against the washbasin. To his relief his older brother said nothing, just watched him like a hawk as he leaned heavily forward and rinsed his face off with water. It felt good and he felt marginally better.

Just when he declared that he was ready to go Dean looked at him, confusion in his eyes; "Why didn't you say anything to me? Why didn't you say that you were feeling this sick?" He looked sad. " Sam when did we start having secrets to each other?"

That last sentence hit Sam like a knife. He never thought that Dean would think that he was hiding secrets from him, especially not something important. Wanting to explain his actions wanted to say something but to tell the truth Sam hadn't really acknowledged how bad he felt. Partly because he was quite used to feeling like something the cat spit up, partly because they were on a case where he was used to push all his mentally and physically aches aside. Feeling like he didn't have the energy to keep his guard up anymore he murmured, "I don't know."

Dean was there instantly, putting his arms around his shaking shoulders-. "That's okay. Just rest until you feel well enough to get up and going." The words were so gentle that for a brief moment it soothed his pain and discomfort which made him lean heavily against his brother, seeking the comfort he so desperately needed.

A hand creped up on his forehead. "Damn, you're burning hot. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we took you to see a doctor?"

Afraid that his brother would make action out of his talk Sam said quickly, "There's no need. I'm feeling a bit better now. I…I think I'm ready to go." He did his best to make his voice sound steady and even if he doubted that Dean believed him his brother sighed.

"Okay, but if you start feeling bad again you better tell me. You never know what kind of bug that hit you in the ass."

Sam, too sick and too tired to comment, nodded. "'kay. " He steeled himself to get out to go to the car but the moment they opened the door Kathy was standing outside, a worried look in her green eyes.

"How is he?"

Sam wanted to say that he was okay but Dean made a face and waved with his hand, "So and so." Then he added with a smile. "Thank you for your offer for Sam to be lying down but I think we should go and get us a motel."

Kathy didn't want to hear anything about that. "Nonsense you boys stay here. It's getting late and finding a motel at this hour," she pointed at the wall clock that read 8.30 pm, "ain't all that easy. We've got plenty of rooms and you can both stay at our guestroom tonight." She smiled "Besides Sam looks as if he can need all the rest he can get and if he is better in the morning you can find a motel." When neither of the boys, especially Sam looked too enthusiastic she lowered her voice as if she was afraid that anyone would hear her. "You can also interview my husband Joe about the case that you're working on."

Never being the one to turn down a case Sam could see Dean change his mind and the look he gave him told him that he so desperately wanted this hard-to-get information. "What do you say?"

Sam knew that if he would've said no Dean didn't press on, but not wanting to stand in the way he said tiredly "Dean, this sounds pretty good. Let's do it."

"You really think so?" There was serious doubt in his brother's voice.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, suddenly too exhausted to do anything besides go to sleep. "Let's take up the offer and you can do the "interview" while I get some rest." He added for effect. "I'm beat."

Kathy pleased over the sudden turn about said with a smile on her lips, "That's it. I'm going to make the guestroom ready. Come on boys I show you where I live." She said something to another girl who instantly took her place by the bar and then Sam and Dean trudged after her.

The woman lived in the back of the bar and it was surprisingly big for two people. Kathy gestured towards the sofa, "Honey please lay down. I'll go and get you a glass of water and Tylenol."

Feeling as his legs would give out any minute Sam sank down on the couch and when Dean urged him to lie down he obeyed. His head hurt so bad now and he put his hands towards his temples, rubbing it idly as he concentrated to relax. It wasn't easy since the pounding heighten all the time reaching levels that he didn't even think was possible.

Dean was unusual quiet for being him and instead he sat beside him, looking forlorn as If he didn't know what to do. "Is it that bad?" he asked when Sam shut his eyes tight, wincing in pain.

"Mmmm." There was no sense in lying since Sam knew that no matter what he said his actions showed something else. To his relief Kathy came back with the Tylenols and a glass of water and he swallowed it greedily, his body dehydrated from the puking and the fever.

It didn't take long for his eyes to grow heavy and soon Sam found himself snuggling against the wool blanket that the kind woman had provided. The last thing before he closed his eyes were his brothers concerned eyes and the last thing he heard was Dean's. "Try to get some sleep Sam. I'll be here when you wake up. I'll always be here."

With that Sam finally relaxed, sinking into oblivion.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey. I am back again with yet another chapter. Gotta write while I still got the flow. as I can feel it starting to drain quickly. Thanks a million for all of your reviews. Marei I tried to contact you but the message bounced back. Wanna give another try:) Hope that you like this as you can see things are starting to heat up for the brothers...See ya/ swenglish.**

If there were one thing you could count Dean Winchester to do it was keeping his word. This was the reason why he sat in the armchair in the small guestroom, watching his brother sleep on the bed next to him for the past hour or so. Sam tossed and turned, restlessly from the fever that held his body in a tight grip and even though Dean could feel his own exhaustion slowly setting in he refused to leave his side. After all he'd promised to be there for him when he woke up.

He yawned widely. His own exhaustion was setting in and it was getting harder and harder to read the small text in the paperback novel he bought a few weeks back. It was a science fiction novel and Sam had laughed once he bought it yet Dean had said that there would come a time and a place when he would read it, his brother thought the opposite. Dean had been right. Sitting watching his brother snoring was not something he could stand doing without a break so then the book had come in handy. The problem was that the small light from the other side of the room didn't help his concentration and it was too dark to see properly which further aggravated the fatigue that had started to set in. Sam, however, had claimed that he light hurt his eyes and this was the reason why he was sitting practically in the dark.

A small whimper disturbed him from his reading and he looked at Sam trashing about on the bed. Frowning he put the cold cloth on the forehead, hoping lower his temperature, but so far there hadn't been much success. Whatever bug Sam had managed to catch was really doing a number on him and despite all attempts to break the fever it kept climbing in a steady pace that he could feel upon on the heat that radiated from him like a furnace. Sam was the one in the family that could spike high fevers that he knew but seeing his brother tossing and turning, mumbling that he was cold despite all the blankets they had put on him, made his heart ache. The few times he'd managed to stay awake he either whimpered telling them that his head and back hurt or he dry heaved into the trashcan beside the bed.

Dean sighed. He never liked seeing his brother like this, whether it was from being sick or injured, and every time it occurred he felt restless with worry. Ever since Sam was a baby he'd stayed by his side; being the one that sat up with him all night despite having his own school to tend to. He was the one that was there for his brother whenever he had heartache or was just depressed over that they had to go for another hunt when all he wanted to do was being normal and play football. Dean wasn't much of a talker when it came to situations like this, but he listened, he was there and that seemed to be enough for Sam. That was until he went away to college and Jess came into the picture. Ever since then their relationship wasn't what it used to be and wondered at times if she would've been there for Sam like he'd been for him in the past and would be in the future?

His deep thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a small moan and his attention turned towards his brother who looked at him, his glassy feverish eyes filled with confusion. "De…Dean?" The tone was tensed as if he was afraid that he'd be alone.

"Yeah Sammy." He grabbed the warm hand in his, hoping to provide safety. "I'm here." The tone was soft.

Sam paused for a few seconds then he repeated his name again, this time a bit less disoriented instead he gestured to something beside him. "Is it something you want buddy?" Dean looked around, "You feel sick? Is thirsty? What?" It was hard reading the body language.

Sam shook his head slowly. "Co…cold," he managed through chattering teeth. A light told Dean that he'd been looking for the blanket that had fell down on the floor when he'd trashed about earlier on.

This could only mean one thing; the temperature was on the rise again.

Crap. Swallowing down his fear Dean picked up the blanket and covered him up again. "Here you go," he said as he tucked it around him like any parent would do. Stopping himself in action he asked, "You thirsty? Want something to drink? Maybe water?"

Sam closed his eyes. "Do…don't wa…want anything," he shivered. "Ca…can't hold it do..down."

"Yes you can. You gotta try," Dean could be stubborn when he wanted to. "You'll have to drink or you'll get dehydrated." Eying Sam he continued. "And you know what that means, don't ya?" He paused as he eyed his young brother. "I would have to drag you to the hospital." The words were said lightly yet his brother didn't seem react like he was anticipating.

Sam was sicker then he first thought.

"Come on Sammy, you'll feel less hot," Dean cajoled through gritted teeth. This whole situation tested his patience. "Just a few sips, okay?"

"I'm no…not ho..hot," Sam said through the chill that wracked his body. "It's co…cold."

"I'll help you."

Satisfied Sam finally obeyed he helped his little brother to sit up in bed, one arm around his shaking shoulders and the other one guiding the water glass in his hand towards his pale lips. "Here you go bro. Take it easy." A cough followed immediately and then a whimper.

"I don't fe…feel so go…good."

"I know Sammy." Dean watched his brother struggle with such a simple task and then announced he was done. To his dismay he saw he'd barely touched the liquid. Seeing how Sam had a hard time holding his head up, he helped him gently to lower his head back on the soft pillow. That was when he cried out from pain.

"Ohhh…it hurts."

"What hurts?" Dean backed away, scared that he had made any further injury.

"M..my neck…I can't move my neck." There were tears in the corner of his eyes and when they rolled down his cheeks Dean quickly wiped them away.

"You probably slept in a bad position." He stroked away the sweaty bangs from his little brothers pale and taunt face. "Eying the alarm clock he saw that it would be too soon to give his brother any medication for the pain and that made him feel uncomfortable. If there were one thing he hated it was seeing his little brother this sick and venerable, yet there were very little he could do; the fever had to run its course. "Try to get some more sleep and you'll feel better when you wake up."

Silently he wondered what his mom would've done if she'd been alive. Had she been the one to sit by their bedside when they were sick or injured? But then he decided, IF she'd been alive they wouldn't be in a situation like this either. Satisfied that Sam had finally closed his eyes he stretched out. God he could really need a break.

As if Mrs. Larkin had read his thoughts she opened the door and came in. "How is he doing?"

"Not so good." Dean rubbed his neck, trying to work out the tension he felt from sitting still for so long. "He's still running a high fever and seems a bit out of it." Suddenly exhaustion swept over him and he felt out of options. Wringing his hands he muttered, "I don't know what to do. He seems to be in a lot of pain."

Kathy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Dean you've done all that you can do. Sam needs to sleep and you honey, you need to take a break." Her tone was firm but gentle. "I've made you some sandwiches in the kitchen, now go on and eat. I'll watch your brother."

Food didn't sound too bad and to be honest he was starving since there hadn't been much eaten ever since Sam had decided to make such a dramatic sortie. But than he remembered that Sam probably didn't want him to go and he shook his head. "No that's okay. I'll manage." The woman had been much too kind; taking them in and he didn't want her to think that he used their hospitality. "I'm not that hungry anyway. " He desperately hoped that his stomach wouldn't give the lie away with growling out loud.

**_"Bullshit!"_ **

He jerked back at the harsh words and she smiled at him. "A man in your age needs to eat." She paused. "And I can take care of him, you know I have sons of my own even if they are adults and have moved away from home already."

Dean hesitated for a moment then he nodded. "'kay." It felt good for once that someone that was older than him told him what to do. Dean was used to taking care of himself even when Dad was around and it was a different feeling when this woman, who he barely knew, took actions in his life almost like a mother would do. "Thank you so much."

But he liked it!

"No problem." She smiled. "Now go and eat before the coffee gets cold." She waited for Dean to get up. "Joe's in the kitchen waiting for you. He's ready to talk."

No more words had to be said and the older hunter could feel the adrenaline run through his veins. No matter what the situation might be he was always hungry for a case and that would be a good interruption from all his worry over Sam. With a nod and a grateful smile he walked out of the room.

Joe Larkin proved to be a burly man, heavy build with an Irish appearance. He was just as friendly as his wife had been and was very talkative. Dean immediately felt comfortable around him and it didn't take long for them to sit down and talk. First there it was small and when Dean felt he was more comfortable with "Joe" than "Mr. Larkin" he moved on towards the interview. "Your wife told me you were the one who found the bodies out on the cornfield?" Dean asked when he felt the man was ready to give out information. "Can you tell me what happened?"

There was no direct answer to his question instead the older man stood up and opened the refrigerator. "You want a brewskie?"

"Sure." He could really use a beer right now.

"Okay," Mr. Larkin picked up two bottles then went back to the table and sat down. "Here you go," he said as he handed the beer to the younger man.

"Thanks," Dean said as he snapped the cap open and took a swig. "So, you wanna tell me how you found the bodies?"

He wasted no time. He told him that the city hall-people had planned on building a big shopping center on the cornfield where they had found the three men. At first it had been a plan but then the mayor had pressed on and wanted the building to be built. "I told them to put the center somewhere else, but did they listen? No!" Joe was visibly upset. Once he calmed down he went on talking about the findings.

He told Dean that he'd been out on the cornfield cutting corn and when got do a row he saw something sticking up from the ground. It proved to be a hand and when he dug he found a body of a man. The man was dressed in a blue-collar suit and when he contacted the police they made two more findings, all men and dressed in the same clothes. It turned out that all of the three men came from the same company. The company that was building the shopping center and the three men had come up from Lincoln over the weekend.

"But why would someone want to kill those men?" Dean asked chewing on his sandwich. Stopping he went on, "Mmmm…this is awesome." He took another bite. "Did the police think it was unusal killings?"

"At first," Joe said as he took a swig of his beer. "At first they talked that a serial killer might be on the loose but then it didn't make much sense since neither of the men were particularly victims and none had enemies. They were all family men. This was before they did the autopsy," Joe quiet down at the last word.

"What did they find?" Dean asked as he picked up a pickle putting it in his mouth, "Man I was really hungry."

"I can see that," Joe laughed. Looking at Dean's empty bottle he asked, "You want another one?"

"Sure." Dean was never one to turn down a beer. He had a rule to never get drunk working on a case, but turning down a beer wasn't one of them. "This was good." Joe put down another beer and then went on with the story:

"The autopsy showed that all of the men had died of brutal violence, even if nothing was shown on them. Their hearts had been ripped out but what puzzled the police was that there wasn't a mark on the bodies." Joe shook his head. "They should've listened to what I had to say."

Dean frowned. "You know something more?" "You can say that, yes." Joe took another swig of his beer. "Say why are you boys so interested in this? Why is the Discovery Channel willing to make a show about this?" He peered curiously at Dean.

Used to finding up new covers Dean shrugged. "Me and my brother are into these supernatural things and finding bodies where the hearts have been ripped out and there is not a sign on the body is quite supernatural, don't you think?"

Joe laughed, "I guess your right."

"Are there any legends of haunting or anything in these areas? Wasn't this Indian land before?"

The older man nodded. "There is this story about how there is an Indian burial ground nearby, no one has found it but the legend says that whoever touches the land will be killed in an especially cruel way: getting his heart ripped out.

Now this was interesting. It looked as if they were dealing with an ancient Indian spirit and Dean listened with open ears when Joe told the legends story. The more he was told the more he was anxious to tell Sam so they could get out to the burial ground.

Sam! He hadn't given his little brother any thoughts during the conversation but now his thoughts went back to him. The fact that Mrs. Larkin hadn't been out for him he saw as an improvement yet he felt that he better be there in case Sam woke up and asked for him. Standing he yawned quietly, "It's getting late. I better go and see how Sammy is doing." Putting the empty beer bottles by the sink he said with a grateful smile, "Thanks for everything; both the beers and the talk."

"No problem son. If you're interested I can show you where I found the bodies. Tomorrow morning."

Dean accepted the offer with gratitude and they made up plans. Even if Sam was indisposed he had to continue working on the case and as things were it couldn't be any worse. For now however he had to go to Sam in case he decided to wake up and ask for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again :) I was going to wait and post this chapter this weekend but then I got so many great reviews and thought I would make you a bit happy, Anyway this is just a short chapter, more like a fill in for things to come, Take care and hope to hear from you all/ swenglish**

Everything hurt. His head, his back and his neck were absolutely killing him. Every bone in his body felt as they had been crushed and his stomach churned violently and that combined with the constant dizziness made him want to throw up. To say that he was in hell would be an understatement. At least it had to be just as hot.

Moving restlessly in bed, not finding any comfortable spot not even in his sleep, Sam had kicked off the blanket and sheets several times trying to get away from the sweltering heat. Shortly after his body would be wracked with chills and he would be shivering as if he was stuck in the Artic. The bed was drenched in his sweat, making it even more uncomfortable and he felt absolutely miserable. He'd tossed and turned, dreamt strange dreams while he was barbequed only to wake up feeling bile burn in his throat. Even in his deepest dreams the headache was making itself known and he could barely move his head due to the stiffness in his neck.

Every time he tried to wake up the light hurt his eyes, making them want to bleed. _**Could his eyes really bleed from sickness? As they had done when they chased Bloody Mary?**_ His thoughts were so jumbled and even when he did his best to sort them out they didn't make much sense. The few times he'd managed to stay awake he heard a woman's voice talking to him, soothing him, telling him that everything would be okay and he needed to relax. This confused him even more. Could it be Jess? No she sounded too old? Could it be…?

"Mom?"

His own voice sounded strange even to him and when the woman stroked him on his forehead he felt even more confused. He had no memory of his mom but from the little he knew, what he'd seen from pictures and heard from the stories Dad and Dean had told him, seemed nice. Just like this stranger who was sitting beside him, wiping the sweat away from his forehead.

But if this was his mom why would she there for him? Wasn't she dead?

His brain felt like it would explode yet he wanted to ask Dean, wanted to tell him that their mom was here to see them. He would be so pleased. But calling out his brothers' name there was no reply and panic dwelled up inside him. Where was he? Why wasn't he there for him? The fever made it hard to think and everything felt so strange all of a sudden. It felt as if he was threading under water. There was water everywhere; in his eyes, nose and ears, even in his mouth and it was choking him. Making it hard to breathe, to think….

Sam struggled, coughing. He was drowning.

Never been the one to like water ever since he was a small kid and almost drowned when they were out fishing on a small boat, and Dean saved him, he tried with all his might not to be dragged down into the black hole: the abyss. Flaring with his arms and legs Sam fought to stay on the surface only to be pressed down again.

His legs and arms felt numb and as he tried to call out for help there were no sound. This only served to make the panic bigger and he could feel his body cramp in the process. It was scary and he just wanted it all to stop. The grip on his legs and arms suddenly tightened and just when he thought this was it; his head or heart was going to explode, the cramp lessened and he fell back to the bed. Exhausted.

The feeling of drowning was gone.

"That's it buddy, snap out of it." The voice around him sounded urgent and he felt a hand take his in a tight grip. "Sammy, come on wake up.

Opening his eyes Dean's face swam into vision, smiling at him. It was mostly a blur but there were no way he could mistake those dark brown eyes peering down at him, filled with concern. Sam wanted to smile, wanted to tell him not to worry since their mom was there with them. He wanted to say that everything would be just fine, yet couldn't force himself to do so. A cold cloth was pressed down his forehead making him shiver from the chills that traveled down his spine. "Shhh take it easy," Dean was there talking to him gently, "You're running a high fever and we're going to take you to the hospital."

Hospital? Noooo. Sam wanted to object yet when he opened his mouth no sounds were coming out. He wasn't that sick, just cold and achy and felt like hell…okay maybe a hospital wouldn't be so bad after all. There was little recollection over the day that passed and as he tried his best to remember where he was and who was there with him in the room everything was mixed together like scrambled eggs.

Scrambled eggs? Oh why did I have to think about that, he thought miserably as he felt his stomach churn. Swallowing hard he did his best to push back the nausea but that was a no go and soon he found himself leaning over a basin turning his stomach outside and in. Just like a dirty rag sock. Moving hurt even worse than before and there were no way he could hold back his tears any longer. Feeling them flow freely down his cheeks Sam could never remember feeling this sick before and it didn't help that Dean was there for him, patting his back. All he wanted to do at that moment was to die.

When the worst spell was over and his stomach had calmed down everything felt heavy all at once. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't force himself to stay awake and as sleep was ready to claim him Sam held his brother's hand in a tight grip, never wanting to let go.

Never in his life had Dean felt more useless then he did watching his little brother cramp up into a violent seizure. The whole incident didn't last more than a few seconds but felt like hours. His legs shook violently and he had to sit down or he feared he would be the one to pass out. Everything had been scary and unnatural and he couldn't remember ever being this frightened in his life; creatures and spirits even demons all forgotten.

For a moment there he was afraid he was loosing his brother for real.

Breathing hard he didn't want to let the grip go on his brothers hand afraid that something bad would happen if he did. Joe had come in to the room telling them he'd called for an ambulance and that they would take Sam to Columbus Community hospital 20 miles away. Now all Dean could do was to hope and pray that there would be no further seizures since there were no telling what damage it could do to his brother.

"Honey I know. It's a frightening sight, but it's much more scary to witness something like this for you than it is for Sam."

"How do…do you know?" Dean did his best to make his tone steady but it was hard.

"Like I said; I have sons." Kathy smiled at him, gently soothingly like only a woman that had her own children could do. "It's not unusual to have seizures the way your brother had when you spike a fever. My youngest, Todd, used to get them all the time." She paused, "Do you know if Sam had spells like these before?"

Visions. His first thoughts went to the visions Sam had been a victim of, but then they had been different. Not as violently. They didn't make him jerk like he'd been hit with electricity and didn't cause cramps in the say was as this episode had done. Okay he had to admit Sam was prone to high temperatures but he was certain that if something similar to this had occurred in the past he would never forget it. "Nope, Not that I know of." Sighing he asked, "You've got any ideas what he might have?"

Mrs. Larkin shook her head, "Not for certain, but a lot of Sam's recent symptoms reminds me of when my little brother was sick as a teenager."

"What did he have? Mono?"

"No," she smiled then became serious, " He had meningitis."

Meningitis?

Shit! Wasn't that something you died from?

Dread washed over him like bucket of cold water. "Isn't that deadly?" Crap! Dean wanted to die. Why hadn't he seen the symptoms before? They were all so clear now and he cursed the fact that he'd been so blind. Blind like an ass.

"Not anymore. They have good treatments beside it depends what kind of meningitis you got. My brother had bacterial." Sensing the panic in the young man she went on, "But that was 35 years ago."

"So what happened to him? Did he get okay?" He did his best to make his tone steady but inside panic dwelled up all over him. 'Please, please say that he got well again,' he begged but to his surprise found that Kathy either avoid the question or didn't hear it.

"Dean I don't think you have to be worried. Sam doesn't have a rash like Bob did and having a headache and a high temperature is common in so many other diseases too. Besides they have to perform a lumbar test to be certain. " The tone was light but he could see something else in her eyes. Something sad.

Dean swallowed hard. He'd heard about those lumbar tests and he felt sorry for Sam at the same time he felt guilt over not seeing the symptoms earlier on. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he backed away not used to this kind of affection coming from strangers, especially not if they weren't hot babes and this made him feel uncomfortable. Hell this woman was old enough to be his mom.

She didn't back away. "How are you holding up?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes you." Mrs. Larkin studied him for a few seconds. "You know it's never easy when someone you love and care for Is sick. And you I can see is used to looking after others without tending to your own needs.

Dean frowned. What was she? A shrink? A psychic? This was getting creepy. "I'm okay. Fine. It's not me that we have to worry about. It's Sam who needs help." He breathed out, not even believing his own words. "I'll manage. I always do." End of conversation.

"Do you really?" It was more an observation than a question. The older woman looked doubtful at him, "You know there isn't much you can do right now. We have to wait for the ambulance and I'm sure everything will be just fine once Sam gets under medical care." When Dean didn't answer she went on, "There is no need for you to blame yourself for this. It's not your fault. You couldn't predict this; no one could."

"And?" Dean cut her off. This woman was starting to get on his nerves.

"I just want you to know that your brother is strong and that he'll be in safe hands."

"Yeah whatever." Remembering Mrs. Larkin hadn't answer his previous question he asked, "When I asked you earlier about your brother you didn't respond and now I'm asking you again; What happened to your little brother. Did he get well?"

There was a brief silence, as if it hurt too much to talk. "No," she said, sadness in her eyes more evident than before. "He died."


	7. Chapter 7

_First of all I want to thank you all for all of your reviews and that you have been so patient with waiting for the next chapter. Thank you!!!! Without you out there I wouldn't be writing :) Speaking of writing I've suffered from an almost year old writers block!!!! Bad! But somehow this season of supernatural got me back on trck and here I am again :) A special thanks to Carrie for editing. Okay enough of the __speech here come__ the chapter.../swenglish_

_I also want to thank emraldsong for telling me about spinal tap ...therefore I made some changes. Thank you so much :)_

**Chapter 7**

Dean had no idea how much time had passed before he heard the sirens of the ambulance; the door opened and two paramedics burst inside, carrying a stretcher. Ever since Sam's last seizure he hadn't moved from his side and he'd been holding Sam's sweaty and warm hand in a feverish grip, not wanting to let go. With silent prayer Dean hoped that his brother would hold on and at the same time he'd been cursing himself for not noticing the signs of meningitis earlier. Mr. and Mrs. Larkin had been by his side on and off but he had really not taken any notice; being much too busy to calm down his feverish brother who moved restlessly in bed.

"That's it son, we'll take over from here," the older of the two paramedics said as they moved swiftly over to Sam's side and took a quick access of the situation. Dean, reluctant to let go of his tight grip on his brother's hand, felt a pat on his shoulder.

"Come on Dean, let the paramedics to their job," Mrs. Larkin said and with a sigh he moved out of the way so the two men could work on his brother. But not too far away in case Sam would call out for him.

The situation felt surreal and when the paramedics started to ask him questions about his brothers health Dean found himself going in autopilot. They asked about symptoms, when they first occurred and the more he answered the more he condemed himself for not noticing anything earlier on. He'd just thought that Sam had been tired from not sleeping and having nightmares and now he felt bad for not taking notice how sick his little brother must have felt.

"Has he been experiencing any back or neck pain?" the older man asked as he felt gently on Sam's neck only to notice the young hunter moving with discomfort.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I think he said that his neck hurt, but he complained more about having a headache and feeling sick."

The other paramedic, the younger of the two, nodded and then picked up a syringe. "I'm going to set up an IV since the patient is dehydrated."

"Sam, his name is Sam," Dean mumbled, "and he's my brother."

"Sam what more than Sam?" the paramedics asked as they pushed the stretcher out to the waiting ambulance.

Dean hesistated. Crap. Was he going to reveal his own identity risking that Sam would be rejected since they had no insurance or would they go with the name they used for the moment? Noticing that they were all waiting for an answer he muttered, " Can you please hurry up. Can't you see that the guy is in pain?"

At that moment Sam moved restlessly on the stretcher letting out a low moan. That did it. The older paramedic decided. "All right we will take your brother in to the hospital but you will have to follow and do some paperwork. Okay?"

"Sure." Dean swallowed as they closed the door and the ambulance moved away. He didn't waste any minutes before he headed off to the Impala, ready to follow the ambulance.

"Dean?" Mrs. Larkin said as she opened the passanger door. "I will come with you. Make sure that you are okay."

The fog that seemed to have clouded his brain for the past hour lightened and Dean had to hide his annoyance that the woman didn't seem to get out of his hair. It wasn't that he disliked her, it was more that he wasn't used to having anyone else hanging around when it came to personal matters. Their dad had mostly been invisible during past years and Dean was used to taking care of crisis by himself. Not having to share his feelings with anyone else.

"Thank's. But I think I'll be fine." He started the car, hoping that she would take the hint and get out of the car but the middleaged woman was hard to get rid of.

"Honey I know that you are upset and worried over your brother and I don't think you should go to the hospital by yourself." As Dean opened his mouth to object she hushed him up. " Before you say no I think you would benefit that you had a local to come along with you." She looked at him, searchingly. "You know to vouch for that you are who you say that you are Mr. Green?" She hesitated as she said the last name and Dean bit his lip. Hard.

Crap. He could see in her eyes that she had seen through him and that their name was not Green. Grateful that she hadn't yet called him on it he nodded. "All right, come on then. But we better jet out of here fast." With that he put his foot on the pedal and speeded away, hoping to catch up with the ambulance.

As they arrived at the small county hospital Dean saw that Sam had already been whisked away inside. The ambulance being empty. With fast steps he ran inside the ER entrance and to the information desk. "Were did the guy go that was brought in here a few minutes ago? The dark haired guy on the stretcher? Dean found his tone being highpitched from impatience and if Sam had heard him he would have teased him for being a girl, even if that was usually Dean's own words.

The middleaged nurse looked at him with a sour face and then informed him that she wasn't allowed to give away any confidential information and it didn't help much that Dean stated that Sam was his brother.

The older hunter fought with his emotions but it proved to be to no use.

"**Oh come on!"** He yelled. **"This can't be that big of a hospital that you didn't notice a guy coming in on a stretcher!" **

The nurse pursed her lips and she was about to press the security button when Mrs. Larkin suddenly came up beside him.

"Doris, what seem to be the problem?"

"Oh Kathy!" The nurse changed her posture at once. "I didn't see you coming…this man is trying to get information and…." She didn't get to finish her sentence before she was being interrupted.

"Don't worry, he is with me." The words said everything.

"Oh." The nurse chin fell and Dean watched in amazement how the situation changed .

"Yes, he is a guest of mine and his brother; Sam got sick and was brought in her with the ambulance minutes ago. You know anything about this?"

Dean had no idea how this woman seemed to get most of the information out of everyone yet he didn't care as long as he got to be with his brother. To his relief he found the nurse looking through her papers and then she said, "Yes there has been a young patient called Sam wheeled in her recently. He is in room 3A and is being intended by the doctor in charge, Doctor Clarke."

"Well thank you," Mrs Larkin said with a smile but Dean didn't waste any time and he more or less ran towards the room. Knocking hastily, he pulled the door open only to see that Sam was indeed tended to by a doctor and a nurse.

"Excuse me young man," the middle aged doctor said as he turned around. "This room is private."

"Private my ass," Dean spat. "That's my brother," he pointed at Sam who lay shivering on the examination bed. "His name's Sam."

The Doctor, not liking to be disturbed during an examination, started to move towards the hunter. "You better leave before I call security." He started to push Dean towards the door but the younger man refused to leave.

"Didn't you hear..that's my brother."

At that moment a weak moan sounded through the room. "Dean?"

"Yes Sammy, yes it's me." Upon hearing his little brothers weak voice Dean ignored the doctors attempt to get him to leave and instead hunched down beside the sick man. The doctor and the nurse had left the room, no doubt getting security and he guessed that next time the door opened goons would take him with them, yet he didn't care. It was his little brother and he had every right to be with him. Besides this time he wouldn't leave him without a fight. No way!

Sam looked confused. p

"Where am I?" The voice was weak, barely audible.

"You're at a hospital,buddy…you got sick!" The tone was gentle, soothing.

Sam licked his parched lips, his glassy eyes searching Dean's. "You won't leave me again, will you?"

The words felt like a knife wound and Dean flinched at the pain it inflicted in his soul. Grabbing his little brother's sweaty hot hand he held it tight. "Don't worry Sammy, I won't go. I won't leave you."

Sam, struggling to holding his eyes open peered at him, "Promise?"

"Yeah bro, I promise." Dean grinned but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Now try to rest." He stroke the sweaty bangs away from his brothers face, alarmed over the heat radiating from his body. To his relief Sam closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to a fevered sleep once again.

As the door opened Dean prepared himself for a fight but found to his surprise Mrs. Larkin was standing there, the doctor and nurse by her side. She winked and once again he felt confused over the way this woman, a bartender from nowhere, seemed to know everyone and how she seemed to be there with a helping hand.

The doctor looked at him; sternly. "Kathy told me that you two were her guests and so then I guess it's okay for you to be by your brother's side." There were a pause as the doctor boomed. "But don't you dare pull a stunt like that on me again, young man." The tone held a warning.

Surprised over how the situation changed once again Dean nodded. "I hear ya."

Sam's examination took long enough and throughout the procedure Sam seemed to be in extreme discomfort. He was moving in and out of consciousness and when he was awake he moaned that his head and neck hurts. The light bothered him too. Mrs. Larkin had left the room after a while and Dean had stayed by Sam's side all the time. He'd watched the examination in silence but when the doctor seemed to be finished and was scribbling something down on a pad he couldn't hold his mouth shut any more. "What's wrong with Sam? Will he be okay?"

The doctor looked up briefly, peering through his glasses. "I won't go around the bush mister? " When Dean failed to answer he went on, "Dean it was right?" The hunter nodded, waiting for the doctor to go on. "Your brother is very sick and I can't say an diagnosis without having to perform some tests first and then…"

Dean, patience never being his strong side, cut him short.

"So it doesn't have to be meningitis then?" He really had to know.

The doctor sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair in a tired gesture. "Like I said before Mr …Dean first I have to do the tests and then…"

Once again Dean broke the doctor off. "What kind of tests?" His brother hated all kinds of medical exercises and he thought it wouldn't be more than fare if he asked for Sammy even if he had no saying if the tests should be done or not. Besides patience had never been his strong side. Neither was waiting for his turn.

"We will take blood tests and then do an cat scan on his brain to rule out any head damages but first of all we will do a spinal tap.."

"Spinal tap?" Dean had heard about those nasty tests. "Isn't that the test where you stick a long freaking needle into the back and then suck bone marrow for all of it's worth? " He winched, making a face. "And it hurts like a bitch!."

The doctor looked at him. Annoyed. "First of all I want to inform you that this is not an bone marrow test and that spinal tap or lumbar test as it's also called is a procedure that evaluate the cerebrospinal fluid that is surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This is a very necessary test to perform and I assure you that this test won't take too long and the procedure won't be all that painful either.

'Yeah sure,' He'd heard others talking about this kind of test and according to them it hurt like hell. "Will there be any side effects?" To his dismay he was told that a severe headache as well as nausea was to be expected.

The doctor made an attempt to leave the room when Dean stopped him. "Wait up doc. Will he be all right? I mean what will you do if it is meningitis?" He hated to ask those kinds of questions, yet he had to know how bad off Sam really was. If he could die!

For the first time ever since the hunter burst into the room there were compassion in the doctors eyes. "I know that you care for your brother and IF the tests would be positive for meningitis we will deal with it then…" He looked at Dean who looked both tired and weary. "I suggest that you take some rest while we perform the tests and then you can be by your brother side when he wakes up."

Upon hearing these words Dean nearly freaked out. There were no way in hell he would let his little brother go through getting a needle stuck in his back without him being there, comforting him. Even if that meant him passing out since Sam wasn't the only one who hated needles.

"I won't leave him." Dean's voice was firm.

"I can understand your concern but I promise that you will be with your brother the first time…." The doctor had only started to talk when Dean cut him off. He was being good at those things.

"I said; I will stay by his side." Dean gave the doctor a stern glare. "I promised my brother that I wouldn't leave him and then I won't!"

The doctor seemed to sense the seriousness behind the hunters words and he nodded solemnly. "All right, I see that you will be there during the lumbar procedure." The words were short and there was almost an defeated tone in his voice.

Okay." Dean stood up. "I just have to go and take care of some papers."

"No need," the doctor said as he prepared to wheel Sam inside the surgery room. "Kathy..I mean Mrs. Larkin has taken care of the paper work already."

"Huh?" Dean looked confused. How could this woman do such a thing? He didn't have time to ask before Doctor Clarke said, "Follow Nurse Patterson and she will help you with a surgical gown." With that the doctor left the room.

As Dean walked outside he saw Mrs. Larkin sitting on a chair outside the room, reading in some magazines and she smiled gently at him as he came out. "How is Sam doing?" she asked as she put down the magazine.

"Not so good." Dean looked down. It was something strange with this woman but he couldn't pin point it down. It almost seemed as she was too good, too nice and gentle to be true. Why was she taking care of him and their papers and helping them out all the time? Dean had no recollection of ever meeting this woman before and he was startled by the friendliness she showed to him. Especially since he wasn't exactly use meeting people that helped others out. He was more used to evil.

"Oh Dean I'm sorry to hear that." The woman's warm eyes looked at him. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No." He shook his head. "You've done enough already, thank you." He smiled gratefully at her. "Now if you excuse me I will have to follow the nurse to get a surgical robe since I have promised my brother to be by his side when he does the lumbar puncture." He shivered invouluntary... man that sounded nasty.

"Very well Dean," Mrs Larkin said. "I'll be waiting for you here then. Good luck." With those words the woman picked up the magazine again and continued reading.

Dean on the other hand had his eyes set on following the nurse and he jogged by her side as she walked with fast steps towards the surgical department.

"How well do you know Mrs. Larkin?" Dean asked as he jogged along.

The nurse seemed reluctant to answer. "Why?" she wanted to know when he pressed on.

"Oh I don't know," Dean chit chatted, "she just seems to know everyone."

"Well maybe she does." Nurse Patterson stopped in front of a room and then stepped inside. Picking up the surgical clothes she handed them to him but not before uttering the words that had Dean jerk back. "But don't let her fool you by her actions. She isn't all as she seems." With those words the nurse left the room, leaving a confused Dean pondering the words long after she was gone.


End file.
